Everything from the show happened, except season 6 and last episode of season 5. DB went to Rome. Here you have some dates, which should help.
March 2012 – Beginning of DB relationship.
Summer 2012 – Rome.
September 30, 2014 – Proposal.
June 9, 2015 – DB Wedding
June 8, 2016 – Blair's "escape".
July 4, 2016 – DB meeting (1).
February 23, 2017 – Eileen's Birthday.
August, 2017 – DB meeting (2).
May 1, 2021 – DB meeting (3) Beginning of this story.
Characters are not mine. Sorry for all mistakes and as always I'm asking for forbearance.
Eileen (Part 1)
There were so many important dates in Dan Humphrey's life. Those happy and successful, those sad and miserable, those unexplainable and horrible, and those he even didn't know that exist and affect him.
Friday, May 1, 2021. This is the day which Dan Humphrey will never forget, for sure. It started with shock and madness, then transformed into bigger shock and daze to be ended with complete change of his current life. Nothing made sense but in the same time everything started to be composed in a flat whole.
The significant day was a week after his official promotion to an editor of The New Yorker. Over three and a half years ago, when he lost his last hope to get his previous life back, Dan devoted himself completely into work. He wrote another bestseller – Drafts was darker, more analytical, relating to life dilemmas which obviously bothered him at that time – carrier or family, reality or fairytale, happiness or obligation, risk or stagnation, fight or passivity, communication or dishonesty – basically everything what he had to deal for the past few years with. Also he became the youngest and the most promising and talented Editorial Head in one of the most influential and prestigious magazine in the country. Yes his job was the only thing keeping him sane, every new idea, every new project consumed his full attention and power, he did everything, everything to not thinking and to not going back to empty home.
There were rumors about reasons of his wife leaving. Mindless chatter of people from UES, usually those shallow and narrow-minded during that pointless parties, was full of various mostly cruel and unconfirmed gossips and possibilities: that she cheated on him and left with her high school billionaire boyfriend or with other rich, potent heir from UES, or that she simply awakened and finally dumped poor, no class writer from Brooklyn, as all of them predicted different social status and different origin were from the beginning the insurmountable barriers, some of them even suggested that he cheated on her, as a lousy, bohemian artist befits. But he didn't really care about people' talking, mostly because he had no clue himself why she left him. She never explained it to him. She just walked away one day. He met her twice for the past five years but 'met' it's way too big word, he rather saw her, and one meeting was worse than the other. But frankly nobody knew where she was for all these time. She hid from the world, she hid from him.
In that Friday morning after the shower, when Dan was preparing himself for the staff meeting, because they should started to close next week's issue, he got a phone call.
He looked skeptical on unlisted ID, that was his private phone number after all, very few people had it, but pressed a green button anyway. "Hallo. Dan Humphrey is speaking." He got no answer. "Hallo?" He waited for a few seconds, and when he was ready to hang up…
"It's Blair." She finally spoke with shaking voice. He froze. She waited for his respond, but he couldn't say anything, he wanted, he wanted to snap or yell at her, he felt a growing anger inside of him, but he couldn't find words, he just tensed and sat on the edge of a bed in total shock, helpless. "We have to meet. It's really important. Today if you can." She paused waiting a moment. He said nothing. She sighed heavily, nervously. "I will wait in Café Rose at 10." She stated calmly, with that she ended a call.
"Who the fuck you think you are?" Dan said out laud, so madly and threw a phone on a bed. He had to postpone a meeting at work and delegate his duties for today on subordinates, he wasn't very pleasant about it. He barely became an editor, he worked so hard for that, and now he felt like he neglected his responsibilities. Someone trusted him, someone believed in him and now it seems like he overuses it and bosses people around already. "Damn you Blair." He grabbed his things and hurried to the car.
When he walked in to a building 30 minutes before time, he was surprised because she was there already. He almost didn't recognize her. Blair was sitting at the table by the window in a corner, with a cup of coffee between hands. The place was strangely empty, so his eyes could catch only her. All anger seemed to get out of him in a second he saw her. She didn't look good, he must admit that. She was beautiful to him, no matter what, but something was wrong. She was dangerously skinny and very pale, shadow under her eyes were visible from where he stood. No makeup, shorter, tangled hair, wrinkled dress and ballerinas didn't speak well about her condition either. He suddenly became nervous and worried.
Blair was looking outside, clearly lost in her thoughts. "Ykhm" He cleared his throat, standing right next to her table. She didn't expect him yet, because she shuddered on the sound. She didn't raise her eyes at him. He sat in front of her and gazed at her tentatively. Couple minutes passed in silence. "I'm not going to sign those papers you threw in my face almost five years ago." He stated confidently, harshly.
"Oh that's too bad, because it's about time don't you think." She gave him only a shade of her famous disdain glare.
"Well, I think that I deserve a solid explanation, what the fuck happened all these years ago."
"You deserve nothing from me." She riposted certainly.
"You walked away without a single word, oh no sorry you disappeared the day before our first wedding anniversary, and you really don't feel that I need a little clarification on that fact."
"Actually I don't." She looked away, still holding firmly a mug.
"Then you don't get a divorce." He said angrily, resisting on a chair and crossing his arms.
She sighed tiredly, trying to calm herself down. "I'm not here to discuss this or argue with you. I have bigger issues than that, right now."
"I bet you have." He snapped immediately.
Blair put a cup on a table and started buttoning and unbuttoning fidgety one particular clasp of her cashmere, beige cardigan. "I want to ask you a favor." She paused and looked him straight in the eyes. "A big one."
He softened, instantly worried, he tried to fight this feeling. 'I will never stop caring about her hyh' he thought mad at himself. But he didn't change his attitude. "That's interesting." He sat on a chair more nonchalantly.
Blair really didn't know how to start. She prepared a speech earlier but nothing seemed fit now. She decided to begin straight forward, and announced. "I have a daughter."
That was a bomb for Dan, nuclear one. His arms dropped, his body sank deeper in a chair startled, deeply hurt. "You… you have a… a… a daughter?" He stammered. Blair just nodded, anxiously. After a moment he tried to ask. "How…" He paused and shook his head. "How old is she?"
"She turned 4 in February." A faint smile formed on her face, when she smoothed her dress shyly, looking down.
Dan straightened up a little and put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. "I get it, I get it all now." Blair looked at him unsure what was he talking about. "So when I was looking for you all this time, you… you were…" He shook his head in disbelieve.
"Please just listen to me." She pleaded.
"You are right you don't have to explain to me anything." He started to rise up, devastated, waving a hand.
"Dan." She begged softly, trying to stop him. He reacted on the sweet sound of his name in her voice, 'Blair Waldorf never begs' Dan thought. He sat back weakly. "Dan, I need your help it's really, really important to me." He just looked at her with sad eyes. She decided to continue. "Well Ellie, my daughter, is very sick." She tried to hold the tears back. "She needs kidney transplantation, straight away basically."
Dan exhaled heavy at the news. "I'm really sorry to hear that Blair." He said sympathetically and he sighed again. "But I don't think I'm able to do anything." He paused, thinking. "I don't have any connections in medical profession…"
Blair interrupted him. "No, no. It's not that. She is on transplant waiting list of course and has fantastic medical care. It's not the case why I was asking you to meet me." She wiped tears and took a deep breath. She got his full attention now. "My point is that the doctor said that the best way to quickly find a donor for her would be conducting tests among close or even distant relatives and… and maybe luckily find a match, what would lead to a living donor related kidney transplant procedure, shortly family transplant." She saw that he listened to her very carefully. "I and my family members did that already and unfortunately none of us is suitable enough. And here is coming my big entreaty." She breathed deeper this time. "Could you…" She grunted hesitantly. "Could you and your… your family possibly undergo those tests?" Blair finally asked. "At the beginning it's simply blood test, if it's ok, later they do little more complicated tests for major histocompatibility complex and then…" She caught a breath after that small attempt of explanation.
"Wait, wait, wait." Dan shook his head, resting his elbows on a table, blinking uncontrollably, losing his mind slowly. "What are you trying to say here, Blair?"
"Dan I know I'm asking a lot, and that you are not obliged by no means to help me. But…"
"I really don't understand." He said to himself and put his hands on a head, confused. Deep inside he exactly knew what that meant, but even as giant intellect as Dan's had difficulties with processing that piece of information.
"I'm just trying to catch every opportunity to save my child." She whispered with teary eyes. "Dan. I know it all is quite unexpected for you and that it's really hard to think clearly right now, so I think it will be better when I leave you alone." She started to gather her things. "It's very serious decision… I know." She suspended her voice. "Just think about it. But whatever you decide it's ok, I understand." She stated calmly, nodding genuinely understanding, then she stood up from the table.
"No, no wait!" He rushed to her so hastily that he hit the table causing trembling of all items on it. He caught her arm lightly. "Blair?!" He called out with horror in the voice, when he felt nothing more than her bone under his palm, then he eyed her attentively and saw explicitly her skeleton instead a healthy body. "Blair." He reaped mildly.
"What?" She asked half annoyed half embarrassed, reliving her arm from his grip nervously.
"Nothing." He decided to leave the subject aside for now. "Just stay, please. Sit down." So she did. Dan was silent for a several moments, pulling himself together. "What does that mean? That… that I'm the father of your daughter?" He watched her with puppy eyes full of hope.
Blair shifted awkwardly on a chair, she didn't expect this, but he clearly needed confirmation from her about that. She nodded slightly. "Yes." She tried to sound decidedly, but her voice broke even on that short, monosyllabic word. Dan exhaled, visibly relieved, but tensed up in the same time.
"My God, Blair." He tilted over a table, closing to her. "Why didn't you tell me? Why?" He looked away, feeling aggrieved. "What did I do to you that you left being pregnant with our baby?" Dan asked moodily.
"Oh you exactly know what you did." She snapped. "And I didn't know that I was pregnant yet. And it wasn't that I didn't try to tell you when I found out." She defended herself.
"I hardly believe that you tried." He said questionably. "That was maybe when you tossed divorce papers in front of me a month after your departure or when you were yelling at me in Paris almost four years ago, that you don't want to see me ever again and that I have to leave you alone because you don't love me for a very long time, that you loathe me in a deep way instead, and that I should go back to Brooklyn where I belong, during the French police brought me out from your father's house like some criminalist, that was maybe the time were you were trying to tell me that you already have our daughter." He rose his voice unintentionally.
"It was mistake to come here." She sniffed and rose up quickly with all dignity she managed.
Dan stood on her way. "You are not going anywhere, Blair." He said firmly. "Don't be stubborn. Pride leads us nowhere." She huffed and sat down on her chair back. "I'm not selfish asshole here, I'm completely aware that it's not about you and me and our unresolved problems. She is the most important, and I'm going to do all in my power to help her." He said composedly and resolutely. She dared to look at him faintly. "Ellie, right?" He wanted to make sure, a small smile form on his face.
"Yeah." She almost whispered, then coughed a bit. "Eileen, but we call her Ellie."
He nodded approvingly. "I will do it. Tests and all. And I will talk with dad and Jenny, today even. She is in New York fortunately, I planned to meet them at the evening anyway so. And I call my mom, and Scott if it's necessary but as my half brother he might be too distant for the match, but we try anyway." She nodded thankfully. "No worries about that. We do everything, everything to help her, ok?"
"Ok." She sighed with relive. "Thank you Dan. Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me, I would never say no." Blair nodded again, like she always knew that he would jump in it without hesitation.
"I knew you would say that. But not everyone would agree so easily… And you have justifiable reasons to dismiss me. So thank you, again."
"Tell me better how did you find out? How long? Since when is she ill?" He asked, trying to focus only on major problem, still feeling thunderstruck.
She predicted that he would want to know everything. "It doesn't last long. Two weeks after her birthday, at the beginning of March, we had doctor's appointment because she became a little apathetic and just lost appetite. Doctor suspected anemia but after a blood and urine tests they said that's renal failure." She stopped and grabbed a tissue from the table. "She had never problems with bladder or kidneys before, I swear to you, Dan." She kind of apologized, weeping. "I should have seen something. There had to be symptoms, I just missed out on them." She broke and started to sob. "It's all my fault."
"Shii Blair. It's not your fault." He grasped her both palms by his. "It's not your fault. Ok. I'm sure you are great mom and take care of Ellie impeccably." He squeezed her hands stronger. "She is just very little and she can't say herself that something is wrong. It's not your fault. As well it could have developed asymptomatic."
"I know, the doctor said it usually is like that in children cases."
"See." He shook their hands, comfortably.
"But to that stadium? Dialysis and transplant. It was basically too late for pharmacological treatment. I am responsible for that. I should have seen signs earlier, there had to be some."
"Don't blame yourself. You cannot see thing, which do not exists. Nobody could. You are not prophet. Ok? OK?" He shook their hands harder.
"Yhm." She glanced at them bashfully and noticed that he still was wearing his wedding band. He noticed that she noticed, and withdrew his hands tenderly.
"I should talk with your doctor." He said, when she wiped her cheeks and nose. "Could you maybe make an appointment for me as soon as possible, I'm in your disposal."
She sniffed. "Well, I'm going back directly to the clinic from here. You can go with me, if you… if you have time."
"Yes, of course. Let's go then. There's no time to waste." He offered, standing up. "Did you pay for coffee?"
"Not yet."
"Ok. I will take care of it."
"You don't have to."
"Wait for me at the exit. We will get there with my car."
In the parking, Dan opened a door for her and then passed around a car, put a little package on a backseat, and then sat on the driver's seat. "Here, take it." He gave her small box and plastic, transparent cup with carrot juice.
"What is this?"
"Your breakfast." She rolled her eyes annoyed and pushed it away. "Don't be a brat. You have to eat and drink it. Right here, right now." He stressed. "Otherwise I don't drive away." He looked at him with disbelieve. "I bet you ate nothing today, and in contrast to your believe hectoliters of coffee can't replace food." She snored irritated but gave up and opened a box.
"It's not that I don't eat." Blair confessed softly, chewing first bite of her sandwich, knowing that he alluded to her emaciated appearance.
"What about throwing it up?"
She almost choked, shocked by his suspicion. "No! Of course not. I'm not relapsing!"
"Ok." He lifted his hands up in surrender. "That's all I want to know. Sorry, but you lost so much weight." She heard concerned in his voice. "I'm guessing because all these stress and worry, but I had to be sure that's not something else." He paused. "You have to be strong for her. Physically too." He added quickly before she would protest. "Now, we both have to. And I will be there. You are not alone in this anymore." Dan declared heartfelt. She just nodded gratefully.
Blair sighed deeply before she took a second half of her sandwich. "She knows about you." He turned to Blair clueless. "Ellie knows you, as her dad. She knows what is your name, who you are, what you are doing, how you look like. She has your pictures. She is obsessed with photographs in general so she has plenty of various photos…" She started to ramble. He opened his mouth not exactly knowing what to say. "I also explained her that you are not around her because I didn't tell you about her existence and that if you would have known you would be… with her." She trailed off weakly. "I also promised her that when she would have wanted to meet you I would tell you about her. That was her Christmas wish last holiday, actually. She is kind of waiting for you." She looked at him unsure. "You can see with her today… If you want."
"Um. Yeah. Of course I want. I wanted to ask you about that but... Why are you telling me all of this?"
"I want you to know that I would have told you about her anyway. Despite the circumstances. That it's not because she is sick and I need your help. And believe me I know I'm doing it way too late, for both of you." Dan didn't respond. He just turned to the window and rested his elbow on a car glass, pondering intensively, waiting patiently until she finished her snack. With her last sip of juice, he drove off towards a hospital.
.
.
.
In the hospital Blair introduced Dan to a doctor who was taking care of Ellie since the beginning. Dr Simpson clarified to Dan his questions and doubts about transplant procedure and eventual transplantation,what does it exactly consist in, what can be consequences or complications, when someone can be qualify as a donor and how post-transplant life looks like for donor and recipient. Then he explained precisely girl's case and actual condition. Dan and Blair didn't exchange a word since her monologue in the car. After a meeting with doctor she led him to Ellie's room, at the door she asked him to wait a second. She opened them and came in.
"Mommy!" He heard exciting greetings from a little girl.
"Hi sweetheart. How do you feel?"
"Good." A girl answered joyfully. "We are drawing with Dorota, want to join us mommy?"
"Yeah of course, but maybe later because I brought for you very special guest today." She accented encouragingly.
"Really? Who is it?"
"You will see…" Dan's heart started to pant at a speed of light, his hands to sweat, legs to shake, when he heard Blair's steps nearer and nearer a hallway. Blair stood in the doorstep and beckoned at him. Dan peeked in firstly with shy, feeble smile and waved awkwardly, feeling silly. He was wondering how Eileen looks like since Blair confirmed that he is her father in the café. Then he tried to imagine her during whole ride to the clinic, but he couldn't visualize her at all. When he saw his daughter for the first time, he knew that nothing, ever will be compared to this beautiful view in front of him. She was sitting Indian style in the middle of an enormously big bed with removable table in front of her, wearing two-piece yellow pajama with cherries print, and fluffy, pink robe in white polka dots, thick, messy curls on her head swayed reinlessly. She didn't look at him right away. She was too focused on a painting. She held blue crayon in her left hand and colored passionately an element, then she brushed away a long, dark curl from her teeny forehead and finally glanced at the visitor.
"Daddy!" She called out happily surprised, wide, genuine smile appeared on her face. She dropped a pencil and opened her arms for a hug. His knees became weak and eyes wet at the sight immediately. He knew that she would recognize him after what Blair said to him, but he didn't expect that. He approached to her quickly and embraced her. "You came!" She said longingly, dreamy. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around him so tight and firm, that he couldn't keep his balance anymore. He leaned lower and smoothed a little back lovingly, trying to stop his tears. Dan really couldn't recall if he ever got that kind of hug.
"Of course I came." He released their embrace and faced her, holding her palms and bowing to her level. "I hope you are ok with that."
Ellie beamed at him. "I couldn't wait for it."
That was very emotional moment for the witnesses too. Dorota put one hand on her mouth, with the other she caught Blair's forearm supportively. Their relationship changed over these years. They became real friends. There were no more ridiculous uniforms or titles and prefixes. They were simply Blair and Dorota, Dorota and Blair, old close friends, inseparable duo, mutual source of love and assistance. Dorota still worked for Waldorf's but more as reliable and adored friend of the family than faceless, obedient , after goodbye with Dorota, sat emotionally exhausted, on an armchair across her daughter's bed, not saying anything just wiping tears, one after another, repeatedly.
"Sit next to me." She patted a spot on the bed. "I need your opinion on something." That was astonishing how natural she behaved around him since the first second she saw him. "I tried to learn how to draw a parrot today. Do you think it reminds a parrot?" She showed him a drawing.
Dan studied it for a moment. "To me it looks most definitely like parrot, I would say even that, it looks like macaw."
Ellie smiled wildly, self-satisfied. "Because it is macaw. I think I did a good job with that." Dan smiled to Blair, she returned it to him. "But I have to complete it. Do you mind daddy?"
"No, of course no." He stroked her hair. 'Daddy' it's sounded so new, unfamiliar but he loved it. Loved it. He couldn't describe a feeling, but it was so good. And he wondered if he could get used to it someday. He hoped, he didn't.
"I can tell you stories meanwhile, if you want. So you could get to know me better." She said casually tilting over her work on the table. 'She is incredible.' he thought. 'And seemed to be unaffected by it all – sickness and his appearing – completely. Thank god!' He was worried, among other things, that she could be somehow damaged by this situation, but she was not, at all. Fortunately.
And she told. She described with details a lot of events, some funny experiences, and excited adventures, her trips with mom or grandparents in Paris, her room in grandpa's Harold house, what she liked the most, what she didn't like at all, why she hated strawberries and why she wasn't afraid of spiders anymore, and that she was in New York for the first time and that she liked it. Blair wasn't with them all the time, she excused herself couple times, or simply bustled in relatively big room, trying to not disturbed.
(x)
(1)
"Grandpa Roman got new puppy during Christmas, Chihuahua." Eileen giggled lightly. "When grandma Eleanor came at Christmas Eve she was complaining all day: 'what a crazy dog', 'who brought home that insane animal?'" She imitated Eleanor perfectly, both Dan and Blair chuckled on it. "So they called him Crazy."Girl continued.
"And this is very accurate name, you must admit." Blair mentioned. Ellie nodded, agreeing.
"Yes, that true. Crazy is crazy. He is so small but he destroys and bites everything. Furniture, carpets, shoes, toys, even Handsome's bolster."
"And what Handsome about it?" Dan asked intrigued, remembering how peaceful and trouble-free the dog was.
"Eh, he noticed and was a little surprised because he walked around it couple times, but he is so lazy that he just lay down on a torn pillow anyway totally untouched. Mommy, on the other hand, lost her mind when she discovered that he bit her favorite black high heels." She looked at Blair, waiting for her reaction.
"That was very valid reason to lose mind." She defended. "I will never forgive him that."
"And Holly." Ellie pointed.
"And Holly."
"Yeah Crazy ripped my favorite doll, and mommy's favorite doll when she was little." She admitted sadly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." He said soothingly.
"It's fine. I still have Gustav." She showed him her plush hippo.
"Yeah. He is great." Dan touched toy's soft leg. 'But some things are irreplaceable' He said in his mind. "Do you think he would want to meet Cedric?"
"Cedric?" Ellie asked excitedly interested.
"Cedric is my favorite toy, when I was little. I would be honored, if you would want to take care of him." Blair watched him from the corner of her eye, truly touched, she was sure that Ellie would love Cedric like Holly, and poor Gustav had no chance in that competition.
"Yes! I would. I want!" She enveloped him, like she was trying to convince him that she was saying true. Dan laughed. "Is it Cabbage Patch Kid like Holly?"She looked up at him.
"Yes, he is." She beamed, content. 'His daughter prefers Cabbage Patch dolls, that must be hereditary.' He thought. "I have a feeling that he will be in good hands. But remember you have to protect him from Crazy." He winked playfully.
"Oh I will. But Crazy is better now. He attends dog behavioral therapy at dog's psycho-" She paused, attempting again. "Psychotherapist." Ellie said a word correctly this time, smirking lightly. Dan thought that she probably smells an absurd in the air.
"What?! He attends what?"He laughed, half amused, half amazed.
"Dog behavioral therapy." Blair repeated calmly. "I know it sounds silly, but it's very effective. So stop laugh. Both of you." She pointed her finger at the giggling pair. And they stopped. "Surprisingly, it wasn't my idea. That was after New Year's Eve catastrophe with my mom's leather knee boots." She paused. "And if you think Dan that you saw furious Eleanor Waldorf-Rose before, you are wrong."
Ellie chuckled again at the memory. "She was sooo maaaaaad."
(2)
When Blair left them for a while. Eileen decided to show him photos. Her literal obsession. On the shelves were children' books and photo albums – five, massive albums filled solidly with huge number of pictures. Dan admired all of them scrupulously and was really interesting in this. That was his daughter life, he wanted to know desperately what she was doing all this time, so he listen to her carefully – laughing, nodding, inquiring. She clearly composed all pictures in frames on her own. This was her passion. She liked to move them, locate differently. But last album was almost completely empty. There were only several pictures – of his and his family. One picture with Dan as a baby, second with him around 10 in soccer jersey, one Humphrey family photo, and exactly four his present pictures. No sight of his life with Blair. Not a single wedding photograph, or from times before or after that day. He sighed deeply, but he oddly wasn't surprised.
"We have to fill this one together, daddy." She smiled at him. "We start from now. I want picture with you. Do you have your phone?"
"I have." He pull his smart phone out of his pocket. "And what now?" He asked holding a camera on.
"Come here and take a picture, dad." She said, little annoyed by his slowly uptake. He clasped one arm around her when she snuggled in his chest, with the other hand he pressed a camera button.
"Now print it." She ordered. "We need to put it in the album." She saw that he had no idea what was she talking about. "Just connect with my printer." She said lightly.
"Connect? With your printer?" Eileen grabbed his three times bigger iPhone than her palm from his hand, she clicked few times and then he heard one long 'bip'. Second later the picture was ready and lay on mini printer on the desk behind him. He never thought about himself as a cybernetic illiterate, but he started to consider that possibility when his 4 years old daughter rolled her eyes on his inability in using Bluetooth.
"Could you hand me it, please." She opened an album and chose a right frame. "It's really good picture." She admired it for a while.
"Definitely the best. My favorite one."He wore the bright smile.
"My too… So this is my grandpa Rufus, right. He is a musician." She said pointed at an old picture.
"Yes, yes." Dan replied, wondering how quickly children are able to change a topic. "Yes he is. And this is my mom, your grandma..."
"Allison, an artist."
"Yes." He smiled. "…and my sister Jenny, your aunt."
"Fashion designer like grandma Eleanor."
"Yes like grandma Eleanor."
"And I know what is your profession too."
"Hym, you do?" He asked teasingly.
"Yes. You are a writer. You are an author of books." She said proudly.
"You like books, hmm?"He pointed on the shelves.
"Yes, a lot. Would you read to me later?" He nodded in response. "Is it hard to write a whole book?" She asked curiously.
"Well it depends. Sometimes it's easier sometimes harder. One day I'm able to write a lot of things almost mechanically, the other I cannot write anything at all. It's like with painting, it's easy to draw a parrot but it's not that simple with monkey or giraffe for example. But with a little practice and time, monkey and giraffe isn't that difficult anymore."
She nodded understandably. "Mommy has all of your books and every new copy of your magazine."
"Really?" He asked truly surprised. "How do you know?"
"She has it all in her bedroom's nightstand. I read your name on it. We have the same though."
Dan moved unsurely, shooting a glance at Ellie. "You mean… What do you mean?"
"Humphrey. It's my last name, and mommy's, and yours. We are Humphrey's!"
'Wow' He thought. 'Blair didn't change her name back, yet.' He added. 'And she gave it to Ellie. Wow.' He was shocked. He pretended in front of Eileen that he knew, but he obviously didn't. He realized that honestly he knew nothing.
"Do you have their actual photos on you?"Ellie asked pointing back at the picture, getting him back to the reality.
"Oh yeah, I should have some on my phone…" He scrolled on. "There isn't much."He grimaced apologizing.
"You don't look like siblings with aunty Jenny." She stated harmlessly looking at him them on the screen. "And grandpa looks the same, he hasn't changed, at all." She said a little disappointed, comparing pictures.
He chuckled at that. "You have to tell him that. He annoys all of us, complaining that he is OLD." He accented jokingly.
"I will tell, but I have to meet him first. When can I meet them?"
"Hm. I don't know. Whenever you want."
"Soon." She demanded.
"Ok." He laughed. "I will see what I can do."
"So I have six grandparents now."
"Well even eight." He wasn't sure that he should bring a topic.
She perked up her head. "No." She protested. "Granny Eleanor and granny Allison, granddaddies Harold, Roman, Cyrus and Rufus. It's six."
"Yeah, but my mom and my dad aren't together anymore. They have other partners. Like Eleanor and Harold." She seemed to understand. "You must add Lily and Jeff. It's eight then." He smiled at her.
She concluded on second thought. "So they all are divorced?"
"Yhym."
"Is that mean that you and mommy are going to divorce either?"
She took him off-guard. 'She knows that they are still married.' "No. I hope not." He replied awkwardly.
"Me too."
(x)
Nurse entered a room with medicaments, greeting politely everyone. "Hallo sweetie, how does our little patient feel today?"
"Suuuper good." Ellie replied honestly.
"Then I'm suuuper glad." The woman laughed lightly. "I hope the mood helps you with the not that super nice thing to do." She grimaced sympathetically.
"Please, no! Not these awful pills." She looked at Blair tearfully. "Mommy please no."
"Ellie honey, don't cry." She was on the verge of tears herself, being at her side at once. "I know it's awful but you have to take them." Blair said, sitting next to her.
"Can we crumble them? They are so big." Nurse shook her head no. Big, glossy tears ran on those chubby cheeks. Dan walked into the room with box which he left in the car in hands, his smile decreased immediately.
"Dan!"/"Dad!" Blair and Eileen cried in the same time, looking at him. They both were truly happy that he came back. "Look dad has your favorite macaroons." Blair said trying to distract a girl. "Two quick swallows, ok. And macaroons are yours." Blair gave her broken smile, ashamed because a bribe.
"All yours." Dan confirmed, opening a box. He didn't know what is going on yet.
"I'm scared that I will choke, like last time." She sniffed quietly.
"Hey. Remember when we were talking about practice." She nodded. "We must practice it out." He said after he poured water into two plastic cups. "All you have to do is drink it in one gulp. Fast. Watch me." He demonstrated, then pumping his cheeks like a hamster goggling wildly. She smiled lazily at the expression. "Try it, without a pill."
"But I don't get a face like yours after that."
"No." He laughed. And she did it, settled. "Good work. Now try it with the pill." The horror was back on her face. "Don't be scared. Trust me. Take a pill. Forget about it, then just drink water like before." He handed her a cup. All three women staring at him speechless. Eileen closed her eyes, buying into it, and did what he asked, obediently. "And?"
She smacked her mouth. "It's gone." She said eagerly. "It's gone!" Dan and Blair breathed a sigh of relief.
"See." Blair caressed her daughter's back. "One more time." Then the nurse checked her urine bag and catheter, asked few controlling question and said her goodbye. "You are the bravest girl you know. I'm so proud of you."
"It doesn't help me feel any better." She nuzzled into Blair. "This is torture." Dan's and Blair's eyes met. They didn't know if she implied to medicaments or to general sickness situation. "I want a nap." She said softly, silently. Blair just lulled her gently.
"Isn't there other way to give her those medicines?" He whispered to Blair. She looked at him puzzled. "I don't know in liquid instead pills or maybe even drip would be less stressed for her." He wondered.
"Do you suggest that I did nothing to prevent my child from suffer, only because I wasn't able to teach her how to swallow a pill." She returned into nasty attitude towards him completely out of the blue.
Dan sat up from Ellie's bed. "Blair." He muttered, rubbing his face helplessly. "You couldn't refrain yourself hyh." Always when he thought that everything between them began function in decent terms, she always turned it upside down. And they had to start everything all over again. "As I found your awry reasoning appealing sometimes I think it caused more damages than benefits during all these years." She huffed. "You know that was not my intention and it's obvious that you are doing everything perfectly. I'm just asking, trying to find solution. I'm here only couple hours, I do not know anything. But if you don't want to acquaint me with details, I will shut up, no worries. I know my place."
"Dan. It's not that…"
"You are angry with me. And it's not because my 'parenting skills' or lack of them." He looked out of the window. "I just hope I will find out someday, why our life is like it is."
Blair cleared her throat, dismissive that statement. "There is no liquid substitute to these particular drugs and I decided that we are not going to use drip because she is aching enough because of dialysis." She rolled up one of Ellie's sleeve delicately. "It's bruised and tumid. There is no place to insert a single needle." Dan nodded accepting an answer. 'Why she couldn't just say it from the start.' He wondered.
After a supper and bath time, Dan had to keep his word and read to Eileen. She chose Father and Daughter Tales. Like she said 'It was waiting for him.' That had to be very special book because as a bookmark was used his and Blair's wedding photo. 'That's why it wasn't in the album.' When he kissed her forehead goodbye, she gripped his t-shirt by a fist and asked, with closed eyes almost in sleep:
"Will you come tomorrow?"
"Of course. I will be here early in the morning."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Then she let him go. He improved her cover and kissed her forehead again. "Sweet dreams." He turned to Blair. "I have to go to the loft. Jen and dad are waiting for me. Like I said I will talk to them and I will be tomorrow for tests." She nodded. "And maybe we could arrange that I will stay with her at night, so you could rest at home."
"Thanks but no. I don't think I could rest in my mom's penthouse more than here."
"Ok. But if you change your mind… I'm going to stay here anyway." He declared unsure. She simply nodded, without objection.
.
.
.
Dan was physically and emotionally debilitated. When he left the building all strain and tenseness got him for the first time after all day pretending that he is cool and calm and clear-headed. Well he didn't pretend, he was calm and clear-headed or he thought he was. He just didn't have time to process it all, process it for real. He decided that he got to Brooklyn by taxi, driving a car in that state of mind wouldn't be the smartest decision.
Dan heard his dad and sister laugh from a staircase. He sighed heavily and opened a door tiredly. "Hallo to you mister latecomer." Rufus said mockingly, sipping his cocoa. "What a nice surprise."
"Oh dad, he is a bigwig now. He has no time for commoners anymore." Jenny explained with a tease, swinging on the stool. "We have to send a special petition, then waiting for an official audience for commons, if he considers our request positively, of course." Dan ignored them and sat on the sofa, leaning back, laying his head on the backrest, exhaling long.
"Hard day at work, hyh. But relax, waffles and board games are ready." He blinked. "We are here to celebrate your promotion. Remember?"
Dan shook his head. "I wasn't at work today. And there is nothing to celebrate."
"Why?" Rufus asked, alertly.
"You got fired a week after promotion?!" Jenny teased, faking amazement. "This is new Humphrey record." Rufus chuckled, couldn't control himself. "We still can get drunk using your birthday as an excuse." She smirked. They both saw that he wasn't in the mood for jokes. Jen approached to him and sat on a coffee table in front of him, offering a mug with cocoa. He didn't take it, just closed his eyes, he was exhausted. "Dan?" She shook his knee. "Dan what's up?"
Dan exhaled loudly again, not changing his position. "Blair called me this morning."
"What!" Both Rufus and Jenny called out. Rufus rushed to them from behind a kitchen counter, and moved an armchair closer to Jenny. "What did she want?" She asked angrily.
"She asked for a meeting."
"The fucking nerve of the girl, after all this time." She mumbled under her breath.
"Jennifer." Rufus warned her.
"And you are going to meet her?" She asked, hoping he wasn't.
"I met her already." He replied still looking on a ceiling.
She sighed hopelessly. "Dan, why do you do this to yourself?" She waved her hand on his posture. "Putting you in misery is her destination, she is doing it and will do it again and again and it never changes." She tried to reason. "I swear I will hurt her the second I see her." She said turning to Rufus.
"Jenny, stop. Please calm down. This is no time for that." Rufus said concerned about his son's current behavior. "Did she say something… explain things, herself?"
Jenny pouted and crossed arms waiting for Dan's response. "No. She didn't want to talk about the past, even about divorce." He said quietly, bowing down and resisting elbows on his laps. "She informed me that she has a daughter." He said outright, playing with his fingers.
"Wow. That woman is really subtle." She shook her head impressed. "There is nothing much to say then. Just sign those papers, break free, move on. Everything will be ok, I promise." She patted his arm encouragingly. "And this is time to open wine." She clapped her hands, standing up.
"Sit down Jen." Rufus ordered annoyed by her insensibility. Dan seemed to be unfazed by her attitude at all. "She said something else I supposed."
"That she is here to ask me, well us..." He pointed at all three of them. "…for help." Jenny huffed sneeringly at that. "The girl needs kidney transplant. She asked if we could do tests as the potential donors and maybe decide on family transplant."
"…"
"Dan, this means that…" Rufus broke a silence.
"Yes dad, this means that I'm Blair's daughter father. Eileen's." He added softly.
Rufus sank deeper in the armchair. Jenny stood up and went directly to the kitchen where the wine bottle stood, taking full gulp from it. "So she might be quite big." Rufus said absently.
"Yeah she turned 4 in February." He repeated Blair's words. "I can't even say precisely when." He laughed bitterly. "I don't know her middle name. I don't know her basically. I'm so pissed off, but in the same time I'm not. In the morning I didn't know that she exists. And now I'm the father." He paused. "I'm the actual father of fatally ill, four years old, fabulous girl, who on the other hand seems to know me quite well."
"You saw her?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah. I spent all day with her in the hospital. Well she was waiting for me and received me with open arms, literally. Everything was so quick. I couldn't have time to think what this all truly means." He shook his head. "I was aware of her situation, but only when I saw her struggle with medicines, dialysis, catheter, injections…" He trailed off. "Adults wouldn't deal with it as well as her. She is so brave and uncomplaining during all of this."
"What are you going to do?"
"Well I don't know exactly what are you asking about but right now I'm gonna focus on Ellie. She is in the foreground. So tomorrow I have tests appointment and I hope the results confirm that my kidney will be good enough for transplant."
"Dan son, this is serious decision, are you sure about that, I mean do not do anything on impulse, it's your health your life Dan."
"Dad it's not impulse. I know what I'm doing. I know what it means to me and to her. To her dad. It will save her life, her life."
"I understand that son, but I'm worried about you. That you are not thinking straight here, or that you are feeling an odd obligation or blame or responsibility."
"It's not that dad. Would you think twice if that were Jenny or me?" He asked rhetorically. "I would do it for you, for mom, for Jenny without discussion. And after two seconds with Eileen I knew that I can't imagine my life without her. She is…" He smiled wide at a mention of her. "She is incredible guys. And this is so obvious that she is a Humphrey." He laughed lightly. "She so cheerful and funny and creative and smart, really, really smart." He stressed. "So bright you have no idea. And loving and outspoken and talkative. Oh yeah she is talking and talking, describing and telling stories or some events or just something and I could only sit there and listen to her, and never want her to stop." Jenny and Rufus shared weak smiles, at how enamored Dan already was. "And she is so mature, so scarily mature as her age." He sighed. "And she is so beautiful. I swear when I saw her I thought that was baby Jenny only in dark, long curls."
"I know you are doing right thing, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm scared of you." He sighed. Then he asked timidly. "And there is any chance that we can meet that pretty lady anytime soon."
"Well she is waiting for grandpa Rufus who looks the same like 25 years ago and aunty Jenny who isn't similar to me." They looked at him blankly. "Her words." Dan shrugged his shoulders.
"Really she said that?" Rufus asked, excitingly.
"Yep. Sorry, but I should call to mom and maybe go to bed, I'm really tired. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not." They both stood up from their sits.
"I want just ask you, both of you that…" He stopped. "If it couldn't be me, would you do those tests, only tests, you don't have to decide anything. We just want to make sure that we checked very option. You know… just think about it." He kissed Jenny's temple. "Night Jen. Night dad." She waved to Rufus. And walked away to his old room.
"I don't know what to say. This is so unfair. All of it." Jenny muttered after some silent time. "This is big dad. This is huge thing to make it. Sudden fatherhood… to sick child, encounter with Blair. You think he will handle it."
"I have no doubts in that. He is strong, They will pass Eileen's sickness. I'm sure she will be fine. He is determined to help her. I'm more afraid about their relationship." He said hugging his daughter gently.
"What do you mean? Their marriage doesn't exist anyway, she left him for no reason, without explanation. She hid from him. Nobody knew where she was. That is itself unforgivable. And now when we know that she did it being pregnant."
"He loves her Jen. He still loves her. All this years he hasn't seen with anyone, because he loves her and hopes for reunion or just closure to move on. I still cheer them on, despite a lag and all this mess. They are matching Jenny. They are made for each other, they clicked on every level like very few, that bond is very rare. I hope they find themselves again."
"Really dad?" She asked softly.
"Yes really. But I'm afraid hiding a child doesn't help. When I found out about Scott before a wedding with Lily, I wasn't sure I know a woman who stands in front of me anymore. I was ready to quit and not turning back."
"But you didn't."
"Yeah thanks to Scott, I guess."
"I can't believe I'm saying it but maybe her condition helps them, you know they focus on her, forget about trifles, learn what is really important and see how much time they wasted already. And maybe they will figure it out. Maybe she will bring them closer."
"I really hope that. It's time to bed. Hard days wait ahead us."
.
.
.
Cedric and photo albums were prepared on the nightstand. Dan was lying flat on his still made, old bed, with lanced hands on his stomach and crossed ankles, when he heard someone was opening his bedroom doors noiselessly.
"Dan, are you sleeping?" Jenny whispered hopefully.
"No."
"Yhm, can I sleep with you?" She asked shyly.
"Well I don't think it's socially or legally acceptable considering the facts that I am your brother and we are over thirty."
"Shut up." She called out, climbing on the bed, hitting him with her pillow. "First of all I have my own pillow and cover, second of all I am not over thirty, yet. Speak for yourself." She was already cuddled comfy on her side of the bed. She was laying on her right side, studying his preoccupied profile. "I want to go with you doing those tests. And if I will be qualified as a donor a will go for surgery." He turned to her concerned. "Don't ask me if I'm sure. I am sure, I am decided, and nothing will change my mind." He just squeezed her hand. "And I would like to meet my niece who seems to be as cool as me according what you said earlier." She said playfully.
"You are cool Jen." He said seriously. "You are all these things and more. You are my everything." He took her palm in between his.
"I will always be here, Dan. For you. You can count on me, no matter what. You know that."
"I know. You can count on me, too. No matter what." He shook her hand, affirmably.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Then Dan heard someone was opening a bedroom's doors noiselessly, again.
"Can I sleep with you guys?" Rufus asked hesitantly.
"You are disgusting dad." He heard Jenny's voice.
"Not in the bed. On spare mattress, and I have my own pillow and cover." He paused, approaching to the mattress, which was standing temporally at the wall. "I talked with Lilly. She spoke with Doctor Peterson and he told that I'm not too old…" Dan and Jenny rolled their eyes in the darkness. "…for eventual operation so I'm going with you doing those tests."
"Really dad?"
"Of course. And I had phone call with mom, you know to discuss this, and she will do it too. She will come Sunday afternoon."
"Thank you, it means a lot to me."
"It doesn't mean that we stopped worrying about you." He stated, adamantly, then sighed. "Lilly and Allison are really excited about their well first grandchild. Quite unexpected and relatively big but very welcomed grandchild." Dan smiled a bit. "Do you think we can meet her, soon?"
"It shouldn't be a problem. She is waiting for you. I told you."
"Good. Good." Rufus nodded, pushing mattress on the ground with the bump.
Dan and Jenny flinched at the sound. "As a grandpa you are quite vivid." She said with a mock. Dan freed a small chuckle.
"Yes, I'm half century old grandpa, and I must say that I'm completely fine with that." He replied confidently, covering himself with a quilt. "I love you kids."
"Yeah, yeah." Jenny said curtly.
"Is is really all what you can offer to old, supportive father."
"You are not old!" They both replied in union. "And we do love you, very much."
.
.
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TBC
Clarification:
1. Medical problem brought up in the story (kidney transplant and renal failure) Please DO NOT take this story as a valid source of information. I'm not writing volubly in there about symptoms, process etc. But despite it, I feel obliged to tell you that I studied the topic and it's impossible to have transplant that quickly as it is in this story. This is a lot more complicated procedure on every possible level. I just adapted facts to this story. So please do not focus on it.
2. Maturity of 4 years old child I know that you can doubt in that. But Eileen is not a prototype ;) That character is based on real kid. You just have to believe me on word that it is possible. Girl like her exists, for real. :):)
